Tall ivy-covered tree in autumn colour with a climber in a helmet sitting out on a long horizontal limb and an aluminium ladder against the trunk, with a red brick house corner at the bottom right — Climber out on a long limb high in a tall, ivy-covered tree, with a ladder against the trunk

Tall ivy-covered tree with a climber in orange trousers working high in the crown on ropes, beside a red brick house with white sash windows — Climber higher in the crown, with ropes hanging down beside the red brick house

View down a long narrow terraced back garden with a lawn, a glass-roofed lean-to and wooden fence panels, with a tall tree trunk with cut limb stubs on the left and a worker in a hi-vis vest with a blower at the bottom right — Looking down the narrow back garden, with cut limbs on the trunk beside the fence and a worker below

This Kidderminster job was a tall tree beside a long, narrow terraced back garden, with its limbs reaching out over the space below. The three photos show a climber out on the limbs, working higher in the crown on ropes, and a wide view down the garden with the cut limbs visible on the trunk.

Cutting back from the tree itself

The first photo shows how big the tree is: the climber, sitting out on a long limb, is a tiny figure in a crown that rises far above the roof of the red brick house. Ivy grows thickly up the trunk, and a ladder is set against it on the left to help with the start of the climb. A tree like this cannot be cut back from the ground, so a climber goes up and works out along the limbs, cutting them back a section at a time.

In the second photo the climber is higher still, with ropes hanging down through the tree. Ropes are used to control the work, so the pieces that are cut can be managed rather than simply dropped, which matters when the tree stands next to houses, fences and a glass-roofed lean-to.

The view from the garden

The third photo looks down the full length of the back garden, with a lawn, a stone patio, wooden fencing and the backs of a terrace of brick houses. On the left the trunk can be seen with cut limb stubs on it, and a worker in a hi-vis vest with a blower is at the bottom right of the picture. Space like this is tight, so the work needs planning around the fences, the glazing and the neighbouring gardens.

If a tree is overhanging your garden

Overhanging trees are one of the most common reasons people call a tree surgeon. Before any cutting, it is worth checking whether the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area, and who owns it, as that decides what you can do and who needs to agree. If you have a tree that is reaching over your house, shed or garden in Kidderminster, see our tree pruning service in Kidderminster or send photos on WhatsApp for a free quote.